Have you ever wished to have a better answer for your children’s complaints about their siblings? Here are some smart answers to suggest:
- BIG SIBLING: “Why are you going to have another baby? I don’t want anybody else”.
Instead of: “You’ll see you will love the baby. You’ll have someone to play with”.
Consider: “This is what you feel? Tell me more. Let me tell you that you will always be my only loved big child”.
- BIG SIBLING: “Who do you love the most?”
Instead of: “I love you both equally”.
Consider: “That’s a hard question because you both are special to me. I love each one for being the way you are”.
- BIG SIBLING: “¡Ga ga, gu gu… wa wa… momma”.
Instead of: “Stop acting like a baby. You’re a big kid”.
Consider: “Let’s pretend you’re a baby! Come now and sit on my lap”.
- BIG SIBLING: “You always pay more attention to the baby than to me”.
Instead of: “That’s not true! I pay attention to you all the time”.
Consider: “Would you like us to spend more time together? I’d love to spend more time with you too. Do you want me and you to play alone later?”
- BIG SIBLING: “Why are you always on her side?”
Instead of: “I’m not always on her side. Sometimes you misbehave with your sister”.
Consider: “That’s what you think? Why don’t you help me understand what you feel so I can be fair to both of you?”
- BIG SIBLING: “I hate my brother”.
Instead of: “That’s not true! You love your brother”.
Consider: “Something your brother said or did made you angry”.
- BIG SIBLING: “I wish the baby was never born”.
Instead of: “How can you say something so unpleasant about your little brother?”
Consider: “Sometimes you do like your brother, but now you don’t want him here. I know sometimes babies can be annoying, but when he grows up you’ll love to play with him”.
When your children argue, remember that family lasts a lifetime. Nobody can’t take your children’s shared story away from them. Nobody else shared all those years at home with their parents. This will be theirs forever, and will make a strong link between them”.
